Bernardine V. Mcbride

Bernardine V. McBride December 4, 1923 - November 22, 2007 Bernardine V. McBride, 83, of Waco passed away Thursday, November 22, 2007, at Ridgecrest Retirement and Health Care. Services will be held at 2:30 p.m. Monday, November 26, at Western Heights Baptist Church with Rev.Gene Smith and Dr. Scott Walker officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m. Sunday, November 25, at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home. Bernardine was born December 4, 1923, in Alba, Texas, the 4th of 6 children to the Rev. Charles Leslie Vermillion and Novaline Cox Vermillion. Up until her retirement in 1998 and before her diagnosis with Alzheimer’s, Bernardine was an accomplished businesswoman and public servant. She partnered with her husband and family in a very successful Automotive Service Business in Houston, TX. After 3 decades in the automotive business, the McBride’s decided to retire and moved to the Lake Travis area of Austin, TX. Not one to settle down, Bernardine began bookkeeping for local businesses, which led to her opening the first and greatly needed office supply store in the Lake Travis area, McBride’s Paper Clip. If that wasn’t enough to occupy her retirement, Bernardine was also a Charter Member of Lake Travis Improvement Association, Charter Member and Past Chairman of The Lake Travis Chamber of Commerce, Member of the Hudson Bend Volunteer Fire Department Women’s Auxiliary, President of The Travis Landing Property Owners Association, Member of the Hudson Bend Garden Club, and served as a Travis County Election Judge. She was also a member of The Order of The Eastern Star. Bernardine loved her Lord and loved music. She was an accomplished pianist and organist. She was the organist at Marshall Ford Baptist Church in Austin for more than 20 years and sang in the choir when she wasn’t playing the organ. Although Alzheimer’s had taken her ability to communicate effectively, her Lord would never take away her music. She never lost her ability to play practically any hymn from the Baptist Hymnal and would sing along every word of every verse. She was a current member of Western Heights Baptist Church in Waco and a member of their Trinity Sunday School Class. Bernardine was preceded in death by her Mother and Father; Brother, Rev. Leland Vermillion; Husband, Leon A. Johnson and Husband, Oren E. McBride. She is survived by Brothers; Rev James Vermillion of Stanford, TX, and Rev Charles Ray Vermillion of Longview, TX. Sisters; Lois Thomas of Marshall, TX, and Margaret Lowery of Mobile, AL. Children; Barbara Mote of Bridgeport, TX, Larry Johnson of Carrollton, TX, Nova Thomson of Uhland, TX, and Warner McBride of Robinson, TX. Grandchildren; Robert Mote, David Mote, Doug Johnson, Erin Thomson, Meghan Thomson, Kaitlin Thomson, Kristin MacKinnon and Kevin McBride, along with 4 Great-Grandchildren, and friend and caregiver Leslie Oden. She is also survived by a whole congregation of nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family and many close friends. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials may be made to the church or organization of one's choice. Pallbearers will be Robert Mote, David Mote, Doug Johnson, Kevin McBride, Chad Oden, Taylor Oden, Sam MacKinnon and Aaron Schwieters.